Cloud's Spot
by ClarityInObscurity
Summary: After a long day, Cloud comes home to relax and spend some time with Tifa. Little does he know he has a new contender in the house...
1. Chapter 1

It had been a long day. A long, rainy day.

Cloud came slogging into the kitchen after he parked Fenrir in the garage. His poor, usually pristine bike was covered in mud; courtesy of a truck driver after dropping off his first package of the day. Cloud was also splashed in the brown muck. His hair drooped in its waterlogged state and his clothes created a puddle after each step. He had remembered to take his boots off out in the garage, not that it would have made much of a difference. He trudged his way up the stairs and immediately turned into the bathroom. He turned on the shower before he stripped off his clothes. He wanted to step into the clean warmth as soon as he dropped the last article with a plop onto the floor.

Cloud gave an audible sigh as the hot water poured over him. He stood there for an uncharacteristic moment before he began the process of shampoo, rinse, repeat. It wasn't long before he was standing in his bedroom in a towel, rifling through the drawers for something comfy. He settled on a pair of black sweatpants and a loose white shirt. He went back to the bathroom to gather his soaked clothes. He figured he might as well just take them to the laundry room.

As he went to the sidestep the puddles on the stairs, he noticed that they were no longer there. _Ah, Tifa must be home_, he thought. He had meant to clean the puddles up himself, but he would thank her for doing so. One less thing he had to do before relaxing for the night.

After dropping the clothes directly into the washer, he wandered through the house and into the living room. He was about to take his customary spot on the couch, next to Tifa, when he noticed something off. There was something in his spot. Something white, fluffy, and purring. Cloud's eyes narrowed at the offending creature, wondering at its audacity. He watched as Tifa absentmindedly ran her hand through its hair. The creature's tail flicked slightly at the end and its' eyes were closed in bliss. Cloud cleared his throat then and Tifa looked up at him.

"Geez, Cloud, you startled me," she said to him, mildly. She smiled at him then, though she continued petting the creature.

"Hn, what is that?" he said, pointing rather childishly at the creature. It didn't even flinch as Cloud sent negative energy towards it through his eyes. He lowered his hand and looked at Tifa. "It's in my spot."

"'It' is a 'he' and his name is Zeus," Tifa proclaimed. "Marlene found him this afternoon trying to escape the rain under the porch."

"Then what is _he_ doing in here?" Cloud asked with much distaste.

"I'm keeping him here until his owners can be found. He's just a kitten," Tifa explained, scratching behind the creature's ears. He purred louder, if possible. "Maybe six months old at the most." Tifa grabbed the creature and moved him to her lap. "Here, you can still sit down."

Cloud eyed the spot wearily, knowing there were bits of white fur left behind. White fur that would stick to his black pants. He cautiously sat down, but all would not be well. The little ball of fluff opened his eyes at all the movement. Cloud looked down and saw his bright green eyes. Once the creature realized Cloud had sat down, he jumped up to all four paws, arched his back, and hissed for all he was worth.

Leaping out of his seat, Cloud pointed at the creature. White hair, green eyes, and an instant dislike of Cloud? "It's Sephiroth! He's come back to haunt me as this creature." He then proceeded across the room where his sword hung on the wall.

Tifa was laughing so hard tears were streaming down her face. Cloud thought the cat was the reincarnation of Sephiroth? Sometimes Cloud's paranoia knew no bounds. "Goodness, Cloud. Put the sword back! You just startled Zeus is all. The cat is not a reincarnation of Sephiroth." The cat had settled back onto Tifa's lap, but growls could be heard from him. His eyes were narrowed at Cloud, daring him to come closer. This was _his_ lap to enjoy.

"That cat is evil."

"The cat is fine."

"He goes."

"He stays."

"I'm the man of the house and I say he goes."

"I bring in the majority of the finances and I say he stays."

Damn, she had him there. Cloud glared at the cat one final time before he stalked out of the living room. He could stay. For now.

He never got to see the smug look on the cat's face as he left.

Zeus – 1. Cloud – 0.


	2. Chapter 2

How he hated waking in the middle of the night.

Cloud laid there for a few moments before he cracked his eyes open. He was so tired, but he was so thirsty. And the thirst won. He slowly moved his right hand to the to the side table, but all he found was his watch and PHS. Shit. He was going to have to get up and go down to the kitchen.

Now, having the condition Cloud did, he could make his way stealthily to the kitchen and back with no problem. Tifa would never know he left the bed and the kids would never hear him. However, when it took more than a little effort to open his eyes, it might be more of a challenge.

He pushed himself up from the bed as he swung his feet over the edge. He took a deep, silent sigh before he stood up. He wobbled tediously for the first few steps, his bleary eyes leading the way. He almost ran into the door, but his hand found the knob first and he opened it. Stepping out into the hallway, he unconsciously side-stepped the squeaky floor planks. He took another big yawn as he passed the bathroom.

As he neared the stairs, he used his right hand to find the wall. He knew the opening to the downstairs was here somewhere. His fingers found a corner and he moved his hand down to grip the railing. He cursed the darkness of the stairwell. Even after living in the home for seven years, he would still forget how many steps were there. He treaded down carefully, step by step. When he was almost to the bottom, he stepped on something soft and fluffy. He assumed it was a squeak toy when he heard an awful, loud noise. The screech startled him into wakefulness. He tipped perilously to the left side as his right foot came under attack. And as the offending squeak toy slipped from under his foot, he distantly realized that it was no squeak toy. He stepped on that damned cat's tail.

With his balance shot, Cloud try to recover with a stumble, but ended up losing his footing all together and fell down the rest the stairs. He was quick enough to brace himself on the floor so his face didn't smack the wood. He groaned as he laid himself onto the floor and went limp. That cat was going to be the death of him.

Soon, he heard voices and the lights of the stairwell came on. "Cloud?" he heard Tifa's questioning tone. "Cloud, are you all right?" He could feel her presence next to him as she knelt down to assess the damage. "What happened?"

Cloud tilted his head to the side so that he could see her, "That cat of yours was lying on a step and tripped me."

He watched as her eyes widened and her breath hitched. She began to look around frantically for the cat and spotted him under the kitchen table. She moved from Cloud's side and scooted closer to the cat. Cloud blinked after her as she cooed at the cat to come out.

The cat was a pitiful sight as he slinked from under the table. His tail was low to the ground and his head was drooped. He had a woeful look in his eerie green eyes. He gave out a timid, little meow and  
>Tifa began to fuss over him in earnest.<p>

"Poor, Zeus. You've had a rough night. Let's go back upstairs to bed," she said as she cradled him in her arms. He gave her arm a little lick. "Awe, you're going to be all right." Cloud watched as she turned around and gazed at him, still sprawled on the floor. "Aren't you going to get up?"

"Maybe I'm hurt."

"I'm aware of your healing abilities, mister. Any bruise you get will be gone in an hour. Get up and go back to bed," Tifa snarked as she moved back to the stairs. Cloud flipped over onto his back and watched her go. Where was his attention? Why didn't he get fussed over? As she ascended to the top, he saw glowing little eyes peering back at him. That cat was laughing at him! He was going to get that mangy furball...

"And don't forget to turn the lights off!"

Cloud closed his eyes and tightened his jaw. Maybe he would just sleep here tonight...


End file.
